The Conservatives are calling for Parliament to hold hearings in January on Canada-U.S. trade ahead of president-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, as businesses and experts seek a coherent response to the threat of tariffs.
“We have a U.S. president(-elect) with a strong mandate, who is a powerful negotiator who can spot weakness from a mile away,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday.
Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from Canada unless it stops the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S., though officials say both cross from Canada in negligible amounts.
The Tories say they have no faith in the Liberals’ ability to handle the situation after Monday’s resignation of former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, who was set to play a major role in shaping Canada’s response to Trump. Meanwhile, premiers have proposed conflicting policies to deal with the …